Fasting to expiate a broken oath is an option only if one cannot feed or clothe ten poor people

27-4-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamualaikkum.. I took an oath not to masturbate; watch porn and break an oath..but I broke them :(... as all of them deal with one action(acc. to me) ; how many days should I.fast for the.expiation Of this?? Plzz help!

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

If you had made one (collective) oath not to do all those acts, then you have broken your oath by doing one of them, and you are required to do one expiation for breaking your oath. However, if you made multiple oaths, one for each of those acts, and broke them, then you are required to do the expiation for each oath you have broken.

The expiation for breaking an oath is to free a slave, or to feed ten poor people (with the average kind of food that one feeds his family), or clothe them. The one who does one of these things has cleared his liability; if he is unable to do any of these three things, then he moves to the option of fasting, and fasts three days. It is more prudent to fast the three days in succession, for each oath you have broken.

It is not permissible for you to choose fasting unless you are unable to feed or clothe ten poor people. Allaah The Exalted says (what means): {But whoever cannot find [or afford it] – then a fast of three days [is required].} [Quran 5:89]

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 81387.

Allaah Knows best.